Starting in May 2021, Google has another ranking factor in mind for your website: core web vitals. Unlike previous algorithms, this one has nothing to do with keywords or mobile-first indexing, the latter which takes effect in March 2021.
April 2021 update from Google: “We’ll begin using page experience as part of our ranking systems beginning in mid-June 2021. However, page experience won’t play its full role as part of those systems until the end of August.” For details on what will be included in this update and a look at the new Page Experience report, check out Google’s post “More time, tools, and details on the page experience update.”
November 2021 update from Google: “We’ll begin using page experience as part of our desktop ranking systems beginning in February 2022. The rollout will be complete by the end of March 2022. This ranking launch will be based on the same page experience signals that we rolled out for mobile earlier this year. We are also planning to help site owners understand how their desktop pages are performing with regards to page experience using a Search Console report which will launch before desktop becomes a ranking signal.”
Whether you realize it or not, you and your website are already familiar with Google’s web vitals. These are all factors that contribute to a good experience for your website visitor. By being mobile-friendly and responsive, you enable your target audience to find information on your site using a variety of devices including smartphones. By choosing HTTPS for your domain, you have added an extra layer of security to keep your website viewers safe. By establishing privacy guidelines, you provide a safe browsing environment.
Google’s new core web vitals focus on your target audience’s experience on your web pages. The desire is to mimic the in-store experience for online shoppers with web pages that load quickly, buttons that immediately do what is expected, and easy-to-follow visuals and navigation.
These are the areas that can give you and your website an advantage:
• Perceived page loading speed
You will see this referred to as largest contentful paint or LCP. What it means for you, according to Google, is that all your above-the-fold content should load in 2.5 seconds and the content your viewers really desire to see should load with no perceived wait time.
• Interactivity
This is also known as the first input delay or FID. Google measures how long it takes for your website to respond to a web visitor’s input, preferably less than 100 milliseconds. Clicking a link, filling out a form and hitting submit, or swiping a button are all good examples.
• Visual stability
The fancy name for this is cumulative layout shift or CLS. Google wants you to declutter your web layout so your website users get a consistent, predictable view as they click through the content that interests them. This isn’t about high-quality images and graphic design. It’s about keeping unexpected layout shift in your visual content to less than 0.1.
All of these metrics aim to improve the website visitor’s experience with you and your brand. It’s up to you to take action now.
Let Tate Design enhance your web design and the elements that determine your core web vitals scores. We optimize the size, format, and placement of your images to improve your Largest Contentful Paint score. We address coding that impacts First Input Delay. We create visually appealing, consistent, user-friendly interfaces that promote visual stability. Let us tweak your core web vitals before they affect your website ranking. Give us a call at 610.725.0702 or e-mail info@tatedesign.net to make your user experience exceptional and achieve real business results.
References
Core Web Vitals report
Why You Need To Optimize For Voice Search
